>
> >Randy. Don't you think maybe some are taking an offhand comment and going
> too far with it?


I'm sorry if I was unclear, Dick!   I had posted the result of a controlled
trial at a government lab.  The fact that the addition of beebread reversed
the decline of the colonies suggests that the problem was due to inadequate
nutrition.

>but your comment about 2 brood cycles being the max you can raise on pollen
supplement

The above quote was extrapolated from my post--they are not my words.

Howver, although the two brood cycle number should certainly not be set in
stone, it is in the ballpark of several older trials of supplements by
pioneers in bee nutrition, such as Haydak, Herbert, and Shimanuki.

I also am not implying in any way that the feeding of pollen supplements is
anything but highly effective.  You might wish to read my four "Fat Bees"
articles to that effect.

I use pollen supplements to great effect in my own operation, and know of
any number of commercial beekeepers who do the same.  Indeed, I would
attribute many of the strong colonies in almond pollination at the moment to
supplemental feeding.

Dr Frank Eischen had documented the benefits of feeding protein to
parasite-infected colonies, as I mentioned in my current article in ABJ.

There is a large difference between saying that a pollen supplement is not a
complete *substitute* for pollen, and saying that they are not worthwhile.
I apologize again if I was unclear.  In most circumstances, pollen
*supplements* act as just that--supplements that augment the natural pollen
gathered by foragers.

As our supplement formulas improve, we are close to creating pollen
*substitutes.*  Some of the best now appear to be able to provide the bulk
of colony nutrition, and only need to be supplemented with a small amount of
natural pollen.

Thank you, Dick, for suggesting a clarification.  I have enjoyed the tone of
discussion on the List of late.

Randy Oliver

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